WWRY Prequel: God Save The Queen
by neeuqfonafamai
Summary: My idea of events before 'We Will Rock You' Story 1 of my WWRY Trilogy
1. Preface

God Save The Queen

Preface

It was 2307 when he discovered the truth. However it all started way before that, back in 2247, when things seemed so perfect. 'Pop' was crazy, he was young. The sun was always shining and he just lived for fun.

"Justin Sparrow" called the head

Justin strode forwards purposefully. His moment in the spotlight had come and he looked ahead to his future. The cyber-chip which he was about to receive confirmed his acceptance into the real world. For too long he had been walled up in this institution as the world changed around him. Now he would become part of that world.

GlobalSoft had provided his work, as it had for all graduates of Virtual High. A pioneering institution, it showed the way forward for the entire planet. It had certainly changed Justin's life for the better.

When he had arrived, Justin had been a wayward lad. He had been disobedient and manipulative, to the extent that his parents had been forced to abandon him. Still, this was probably for the better. Research was beginning to show that the family unit was outdated, a remnant of a past that was no longer relevant to modern life. Justin was glad that he had the corporation as his family. They had saved him, as they had every other boy that entered their doors.

He took the cyber-chip gladly, smiling at his former teacher as he did so. Then, shaking her hand, he went to await the dismissal.

The graduates stood infront of their mentors. They had found their educational experience extremely rewarding, but now it was time for a change.

"Hey kids" called one of the teachers, "school's out. Get out there and have some fun. It's summer time!"

It was always summer-time in the hearts and minds of the 'Radio Kids'. But this summer was the best, because it meant that Justin would begin his new life as a data logger.

He was looking forward to the new challenge that his work would bring. He had been given a great responsibility by the company. He would be assisting in the transfer of information from the powers at B to the consumer. Without people like him the system would ground to a halt, the corporation would become bankrupt and a whole new system of education would be halted before it truly began. He was glad that they trusted him so much.

It hadn't always been that way; although Justin liked t believe that it had. Once upon a time Justin had been an outcast, a remnant of a society that was gradually being lost as technology took over.

Justin's parents were old-age folk, "hippies" some people called them. They believed in outdoor pursuits, living rough and taking life as it came. Justin's early years were taken up with such things as bedtime stories and camping. But all that was to change when he started school.


	2. Chapter 1

God Save The Queen

God Save The Queen

Chapter 1: When I Was Young

"Mr Sparrow! Whatever has gotten into you?" screamed the frustrated head of Cadbury Academy.

This was the 5th time in as many weeks that Justin Sparrow had been hauled before him. This time he had been caught fighting with another lad, a thin boy named Sammy.

His parents would no doubt complain that it was the school's fault, that their dear boy was being singled out again. Almost made him feel sorry for the lad. After all, it was hardly his fault that his parents didn't see the need to brush his curly locks or to make sure he had the latest shoes.

Mr Black knew that they should have gone further when they reintroduced school uniforms. It was simply not enough to state a colour scheme and a ban on certain items, it was clear that they needed a totally prescriptive dress code. That would have forced Mr and Mrs Sparrow to spend money on the important things in life rather than saving all their money up for a rainy day that would never come.

Mr Black returned his gaze to the boy standing in-front of him

"Go home Justin. And when you return tomorrow make sure that your sleeves are short, your shoes shine and your hair is brushed"

Justin sniffed.

"And for heaven's sake boy, buy yourself a happy pill"

"He said what?" questioned Danny Sparrow.

"He ordered me to take a happy pill Dad!"

"Now Justin, you know we don't hold with those in this house. The rest of the world may have gone crazy, but we still remember our morals. Those pill simply zap your soul, take away the real you. I want my little boy, not some zombie"

Justin's Mum walked by, "Now now, stop exaggerating Dan"

"I am not exaggerating Martha. I tell you that a day will come when we are hung, drawn and quartered for being our very selves. I mean, when we were young there were people who actually remembered real music"

"Oh no" thought Justin "not this story again"

"My grandparents used to speak of a time when you could sing anything you wanted. There were freedom fighters, people who refused to obey the law. You could be anyone you wanted to be and no-one cared. Now look at the world. I half believe that your great-grandparents were only removed from us to keep their memories hidden"

"Careful" warned Mrs Sparrow, "You know they're listening"

She looked towards a camera in the corner of the room, "He doesn't really mean it; he simply gets carried away sometimes"

She returned her gaze to her husband, "We both know that they were taken to be with others their own age at green pastures retirement home. I'm sure they prefer it there. After all, they weren't ready for this new world"

Justin may only have been 6 but his parents' words stuck with him. Despite what he learnt at school, things had been different once. And Massive Mother clearly did not like them talking about those days. Something was wrong and someday, somehow, he would find out the truth.

The following year, Justin was playing outside. Alongside him were a small group of other no-hopers.

To tell the truth there were only two of them. Sally was a small dumpy girl with straggly pig-tails. Despite putting her on a diet at the age of four her parents had never been able to make her loose her puppy-fat. The other girls laughed at her and called her names, so she had been forced into the outside world.

Lucy was the exact opposite. Tall, slim and quite attractive, she should have been the bell of her ball. The problem was that she had an extremely pronounced stammer. She had once had glasses as well. But whilst a simple operation had restored her eyesight, nothing could be done for her voice. The only person who didn't seem to mind was Justin.

The three of them made a funny trio, but somehow it worked. They all had one thing in common, they did not fit into the hole society had created for them. Whilst the other students gathered in the halls listening to their music and chatting about fashion, the outsiders played. They invented the forbidden games and retold the forbidden anecdotes. And they like to think that somehow their strangeness made them special and, more importantly, feared.

The outsiders sat alone at their table in the cafeteria, fiddling with their food. All three were fed up of the state of the rations the academy provided them with. Each resolved to somehow find something more satisfying to the senses once they were outside the confines of this establishment.

For Justin this wouldn't be too hard a task. His parents hated the uniform food which the educational establishments turned out every single day. They longed for something with taste and not just reformed nutritional supplements. Other food was so hard to come by that they had been forced to grow their own, GM-ridden as the soil had become.

It was much harder for young Sally. Her rations were so meagre that her stomach rumbled constantly and she found it hard to concentrate. In order to counteract this, the academy had put her on 'Concentration-ProX (designed to conquer even the most tired mind)'. Privately, she believed that she would never be thin and so she might as well eat whatever she wanted and actually be able to live a life. Not that her life was really worth living! (She sneaked Justin's food- even that was better than hers)

Lucy was simply bored. She wanted some kind of excitement from life and she knew this meal was defiantly not providing it. As she chewed at the cardboard-tasting drivel her stomach began to churn. She was intelligent enough to know what nasty chemicals were in this junk. Those in authority thought she hadn't noticed the effect that it had on the other students. She tried to force herself to take it down (after all, she had to eat something), but sheer will power was not enough. Before she could help herself a new mess had accumulated in-front of her.

It was at that moment that Professor Jones happened to pass by. She took one look at Lucy's dress and her face quickly turned a deep shade of red. The gang could almost see steam coming out of her ears.

Without a word, she motioned for Lucy to march out of the room. She did so, silently dragging her heels. That left two loners more alone than ever. They never saw their friend again.

Justin had little time to wonder at what had happened to Lucy, he was in for too much trouble himself. He was suspended from school for two months for being caught tapping on his desk-top. In his opinion they were over-reacting just a tad, after all he had only been daydreaming.

Still, at least it had given him a chance to go camping with his family. Whilst all his so-called 'school-mates' were cyber-surfing he would have the chance to experience the real world. To live life on the razor-edge. He couldn't wait.

Justin gazed longingly at his Dad's Harley. He had been hoping that they would take this icon of the past for a spin, as they usually did when the two of them went out together. But then his father had pointed out the fact that there would be three of them today. Justin couldn't see the problem, but Dad had been insistent- they took the bicycles instead.

Loading the luggage onto the bikes wasn't easy. The Sparrows were always well-prepared and didn't own all those mini-gadgets that were all-so popular these days. The result was 3 hiker's backpacks, 2 holdals and a picnic basket. The last item was the most unusual of them all, the only other one Justin had ever seen had been in a museum.

The neighbours stared as the family from the dawn of time got ready for their expedition. Some jeered them, "Where are you going? The Andromeda Galaxy?"

Children asked their parents, "Where are their replicator packs?"

A few his deep in their hearts a secret respect for the rebels, but shouted abuse in order to keep their thoughts locked up inside, "Running away from reality again?! One day you'll have to join us!"

Those departing words haunted Justin as he rode through the deserted streets. They haunted him as he passed the desolate bus station. They haunted him as they bumped along the worn out roads. He hardly noticed when they eventually hit nature.

In reality nature had been breaking through for quite a long time now. Despite weed-killer and herbicides it had found a way to encroach on the outskirts of the city. Vines grew down the drainpipes and weeds sprang through the cracks of time. Here and there a beetle scuttled- the great survivors.

But Justin didn't see this. What would he have made of it if he had? He might have seen it as symbolic of the struggle between his family and the cyber-world! He might have seen it as a sign that they could survive in this new world! He might have seen it as a call to continue fighting to keep his identity! Nah! More than likely he would just have observed the mess that formed around him. You see, despite his parents' best efforts, Justin was at least partly a product of 'them'!

When Justin returned from gathering water, his parents had gone. The camp was ransacked. The tents were torn and the fire just ashes.

A flame arose from them within Justin's heart. He searched frantically, hoping beyond hope to see them once more. He checked the scrub around their site, in the pits and underneath the discarded tents. In his panic he even checked inside their ripped bags. But there was no sign of them!

Eventually he slumped down in despair. So worn was he that his mind barely registered the coming of nightfall. The temperature dropped, but Justin sat still as a rock. Until, eventually, the light sought him out.

As the lights turned on Justin Sparrow rose to another day at Virtual High. Every moment of his life over the past two years had been spent at the school, ever since his parents had been so tragically killed at the paws of wild bear.

At first Justin had refused to believe the truth. But they had helped him to come to terms with his grief. And he had been lucky; he had been rescued before love of the real world had caused his demise as well.

Virtual High was the future. With its strict discipline and precise schedule, it turned around the asbos who entered its doors. The system was the guardian of these wayward youths and they followed in its steps. Justin could barely believe he had survived before his rescue.

The boys had begun to question the reasons for their being kept away from their parents. Despite the head's constant explanations, he felt that a school-wide announcement was called for.

"Residents of Virtual High" boomed the bodiless voice, "We will not tolerate discontent in our household! We have saved you from the chaos of family life! We are your rescuers! You should thank us for our caring nature! Your parents could not look after you! They did not even want you! We want you! And this world needs you! You are the future! We are the future! Virtual High forever!"

And with that the announcement ended.

All the other boys talked of now was how terrible their parents had been. Justin knew that his were misguided and that had brought about their ruin, but he wasn't sure that they had been that bad.

However boys will be boys and Justin didn't want to be left out. He had been the outsider before and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. It all started quite innocent, telling true stories of the ways in which his parents had showed him the wrong paths. But then it escalated and soon it was out of control.

Justin told his listeners of how he had flaunted the system himself and rebelled against every figure of authority he had encountered. He was The Rebel-rebel, The Rocket-man. Even his parents had feared his bad-guy ways. Eventually they had been forced to abandon him to the state's care. He knew they had loved him (making a final request that he went to Virtual High), but that love had been fragile and ultimately useless. In the end he began to believe his lies.

Mr Killer was pleased with his work. He had managed to break down each and every one of his students. Soon they would become products of the system, youth designed to become the workforce for his new company. Now all he had to do was destroy their previous identities once and for all. Then he would have the perfect employees, indebted to him forever and with minds totally dedicated to his will.

"You feel so much like a family to me" Mr Killer told his students, "that I felt it was time that we all had one name. From now on you shall be joined with me as earthlink. And in honour of your new life you shall each be given a new first name. This shall reflect your character and will remain with you forever"

The headmaster walked down the line, assigning out names to his students. He only regretted that he could not change these by law and so they would be reminded of their true identities again some day. But in school their names would remain until graduation and maybe they would then choose them for themselves.

He stopped in-front of Justin and looked him up and down. What name would he give to this leader of the pack? Since arriving he had shown himself as a political manager, able to do great good for the company. The other students looked up to him and they followed his example. They had even begun to call him 'Pop'.

Pete Killer had to admit that he quite liked the name the students had given this lad. Despite his best interests he had taken quite a liking to young Sparrow. Did he dare to let the name stick? He looked him up and down once more. Maybe it would be good to give the students this tiny thing, just so that he could say he had given them some freedom if the government started breathing down his neck.

"Welcome to GlobalSoft ."


	3. Chapter 2

God Save The Queen

God Save The Queen

Chapter 2

Dynamite with a Laser Beam

Craig had transferred to Virtual High several months ago. He hadn't made any friends yet, but that was hardly surprising. He was different! Small and with a squint, he was hardly the handsome prince. He was intellectually bright, but that was unlikely to get him very far.

Over the past 30 years Virtual High had become one of the many boarding schools based around the principles of control and discipline, funded by the private sector. Mr Killer was very proud of being at the forefront of such a revolution.

Unbeknown to his students, the ultimate parent-hater had spawned an offspring of his own. was his pride and joy, even though his enterprise forced him to watch her from afar.

He made up for it with the gifts he lavished upon her. Ever since she was a young child, Killer Queen's every whim had been catered for and she lacked for nothing. She was always the first to own every new gadget; every piece of technology was hers. She could have anyone she wanted, and everyone wanted to be around her.

The only thing Killer Queen lacked was love. Coincidentally that was also the only thing that her money couldn't buy. It could buy her loyalty, but never that heart-warming feeling that you get when someone really cares.

To Craig's surprise, someone was actually watching him. They weren't jeering or staring, they were just watching with interest. At first he just ignored them, but when he risked another glance they appeared to be closer. By the third glance they were defiantly heading towards him.

The someone in question was a girl. The first thing Craig noticed about her was the shock of pink that streaked through her hair. It hung in a way that he had never seen before, not neat and tidy like the 'Cheeky Girls', but in tight twists as bedraggled as her outfit. That too was unusual, the fashion of the current dress code was punctuated by strips of ribbon and cord which dangled above her calf-length leather boots. Craig wasn't sure he liked to be so close to a woman like this.

Yet she seemed to be persistently eyeing him up. Eventually she spoke:

"You don't look like no Boyzoner. What's ya zone?"

"Ain't got one" he stammered, "Why'd ya care anyway?"

She looked him up and down.

"Ya wanna be one of 'em?" she replied

It didn't take Craig long to form his answer. This was his chance to make a friend at last.

"Nah" he replied, guessing this was the answer she wanted, "Why'd I wanna be a clone?"

"You look much more interesting" he added.

To his surprise she grabbed his hand and led him away.

Craig was coming to regret showing such an interest in the girl. First she had dragged him off to some junkyard. Now some people even stranger than her had turned up and they seemed to be arguing over him. Craig shuffled his feet on the dirt-ridden floor, impatiently awaiting his chance to return to normality.

Eventually she returned

"I've convinced 'em to let ya stay" she stated.

Craig was about to tell her he didn't want to stay, when the others approached him. He sensed now would not be a good time to voice his disapproval. He forced a smile.

Over time Craig found himself more and more part of "the outcasts". He began to emulate their dress sense. He was their techie, their code-breaker, infiltrating the school systems. He helped to keep their existence secret- changing their records so that they were always present in class, even during their weekly meetings.

At the same time Craig was officially being integrated into "the system". He was given his virtual name and became Craig name told all who cared to hear it that he was an intelligent misfit or a 'geek', as they were popularly known. Secretly Craig envied those in his gang who had somehow managed to stay hidden and thereby lose the name xtinctionevent.

Killer Queen appeared to love her ever-present group of adorning fans. But in truth she would have loved to have a challenge in her life for once. To achieve something that didn't just fall into her lap when she asked for it. The problem was that she didn't quite realise this yet.

Mr Killer studied the records which scrolled across his screen. He was looking for the anomaly, the one thing that was stopping his perfect results. His mind-altering programme should have had all his students achieving absolute perfection, after all there were never any absences at Virtual High. But somewhere there was a mistake and he would put it right.

Eventually he spotted it, a single student who was not doing as she should have. This girl was failing at Technical Studies. Mr Killer probed into her computer, checking out every moment of her Virtual Life. He his surprise there was very little of it. He better watch her; she was clearly different from the pack, and Mr Killer did not like differences.

Heather sneaked into the meeting, a little late as usual. Robbie spotted her and swung past, signalling that he had seen her. There was excitement in the air, as if something new was afoot.

Eventually Robbie signalled for hush. The assembled outcast elite turned, watching their self-appointed leader.

"The way has been found" he announced.

There was much whispering, this was the moment they had all been waiting for.

"Thanks to our network of techies, we now know of the day before music died.

There was once a phenomenon known as Pop Idol. In the days of the rise of GlobalSoft, when our parents were young, this was bought out by the company. We all know of this story, but by then what they produced was already cyber-pop and not true music. Once there was music without computers, real music. A few of you have heard rumour of such things, but it has become almost a legend.

Today we shall resurrect that music. Today we will remember the days when teenagers were free to be themselves. We shall each dedicate ourselves to the memory of one living rock. And this living rock shall show us the way….."

There was a noticeable difference in the behaviour of Mr Killer's latest study over the past few days. The only explanation he could come to was that there was an infusion of illegal substances right under his nose and a rhapsody was spreading infront of his very eyes. It had to be stopped now, before it's effects spread to other students.

Craig had noticed a difference as well. He was at a loss to explain it. Had he been at that secret meeting then he might have understood, but he was not trusted enough yet to know everything that happened in the centre of his new world. Heather would not explain it either and he was beginning to feel as if he didn't know as much as he had thought he did.

Heather began to research her outcast assignment. All other work could hold as she searched out the truth of why she felt different. As she searched she began to tap out a rhythm.

By the third sit, so infectious had the rhythm become that it had spread to her feet. It rippled through her body, sending shivers down her spine. The GaGa song which had crept into her mind broke sown and splintered, sending phrases through her brain. Subconsciously, she picked up parts of it and rearranged them, forming a new song. Without knowing why, she began to him.

The assembled outcasts were buzzing. One of their number had done something new, they were encountering a phenomenon that may never have happened before. No longer were they simply repeating phrases of old songs, they were making their own as well. And as these new songs were spoken, more seemed to appear as if spurred on by some strange force.

A kind of magic spread over the group and each began to feel more alive than they ever had before. They had to find a word for this new experience.

Then someone spoke up: "I've found it!"

All faces turned

"They used to call it composting" the voice continued, "music from nothing. Then they played it on instruments"

From then on the quest was to find out what an instrument was.

Killer Queen saw him and wanted him. Her 'friends' told her to stay away; he was an outsider, a nobody. But this just encouraged her even more. She liked a challenge. Besides which, he would be a clean slate which she could mould to he will. She didn't know his name, but that didn't matter. Everyone eventually followed her, no-one would dare disobey.

Yet she had to be careful. IT wouldn't do to be seen as too interested in such a low-life.

"You over there" she shouted

The boy looked up, searching around for where the voice was coming from

"Yes you. Come here!"

Too slow, she would have to hurry him

"NOW!" she boomed.

Robbie had never been too sure about Craig, but he was even less sure now that KQ had taken to ordering him around. How could he possibly be a true outcast and yet allow himself to be bossed around by the head of the Cheeky Girls? Yet Heather seemed to trust him for some reason and so Craig was still in the fold, just.

KQ shouted a lot, but at least she seemed to like him being around. The outcasts only ordered him around, they never seemed to require his physical presence anymore.

Despite himself, Craig couldn't help but find KQ's confidence attractive. She knew what she wanted and she got it. She was popular and successful, in short everything he was not.

By hanging around her, he could somehow feel what it was like to have plenty of attention. She had so much to spare that she didn't seem to mind some of it going to him. And through being with her, he seemed to be finally gaining some sort of respect.

The outcasts were making some real progress now, but they were sure that there was still more to be found out somewhere. They could hardly believe that so much information was out6 there, simply hidden just out of the view of everyone. The only reason it hadn't been found was that no-one had bothered to look.

He had found them! The girl had led him to the source! As he sent the order to raid the little secret meeting, Mr Killer felt satisfaction that he had quashed the rebellion before it had even begun. Now all it took was to hide what they had found in a place where it would never be found again. The Secret Histories would never see the light of day once more.

The alarm suddenly sounded, They had been discovered! Despite all possible precautions they were secret no longer!

The outcasts fought bravely, but they were no match for the power of GlobalSoft. Stunned by their power-rods, the teenagers were herded to certain system deletion.

Hours later Mr Killer disappeared as well. Rumours spread that he had died, but everyone knew that was impossible- Mr Killer would live forever.

Whatever the reason, there was no longer a Head of GlobalSoft. The company floundered as it tried to find a new leader. The great man had no successors, no-one to inherit the family business. Or so everyone thought.

But then, to everyone's surprise, a child was found. And she was perfect for the job in every way. Confident and already showing great leadership potential, she would be just right for the job.

Craig didn't know what to do. Only a few months ago he had been part of a secret network of authority haters. Now he was practically dating the head of GlobalSoft.

He wasn't entirely sure how it had happened, but soon after she had taken up the new role he had become boyfriend material. It hadn't exactly been his decision- one minute he wasn't and the next minute he was. And then there had been the kiss.

Now he was confused. His friends had disappeared and he had no-one left to talk to. But he had to talk to someone, to get his mind straight. So he turned to the one person in the school that everyone seemed to turn to when they were in trouble, .

END OF CHAPTER 2


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Night Comes Down

Chapter 3: The Night Comes Down

Pop sat at his information transfer link, fully plugged into the system. He would stay there for the next ten hours, until his shift was over.

The day began at 06:00 when the alarm sounded. Then there were ten minutes of exercise, designed to get the heart pumping ready for the full day ahead. At 06:15 exactly he would open the door and march to his consol, which he reached at 06:20.

Like many employees, he worked at home, connected to his colleagues through a series of wires. Through these he would access the company network and from there he would reach the worldwide net. His job was to transfer information between these different levels of interlinks. In short, he told the customer what they wanted, confirmed this to GlobalSoft, and then told the customer when it was dispatched.

This week the 'in thing' was space-age micro-pop. Pop hadn't listened to the stuff himself, but he understood that it was the best music the company had invented yet. And, of course, every self-respecting 'Radio Kid' would buy it- no-one would want to be left out.

Work over, Pop went back to his cell. There were still 5 hours left before the beginning of his sleep cycle and he planned to use them to the best of his ability.

He logged into the cyber-system, already beginning to miss the comforting glow which touched his cerebral cortex. Then, as his mind reached out to the voices which it contained, he rushed down some nutritional supplements. Connecting with his friends, they began to watch the latest soap together. With every second that passed they became more enthralled, now they were almost part of the action.

Janine wandered past Paul, a whiza-cola can clearly visible in her hand. As she ordered music from her inter-home system, a brand new space-age micro-pop song began.

"What's that sound?" Paul asked

"It's the latest download from Locomotion Slide" Janine replied

"I must get it" Paul stated, already half-connected to the system.

While Paul downloaded his song, Janine was getting ready for a night of dancing. She told her dress-a-matic 60000 to dress her in the latest fashion and soon every Cheeky Girl knew what she would be wearing that night.

Music rang through the executive cell as the dance began. The wall slid back to reveal three display screens. On the central one was the demonstration of the latest moves. Either side were Janine's friends, performing the same dance.

The video stopped- the cue for all watching to perform the moves themselves. Pop relished this first dance, it was the brand new one before the well-established dances began. In no time at all he, and the rest of the Rad community, would be proficient in the coolest thing around.

When the minute was up, the well-known songs began. Pop considered turning off, but he knew it would seem wrong if he did not complete the recommended 10 minutes. Plus, what would he do until "All Our Present" began again?

So he stayed on his dance-mat until the music began again a few seconds later. The first song would be the Cha-Cha Slide, followed by Tragedy, The Hocky-Kocky and the Crank That. Finally they would repeat Locomotion Slide 04072260 and the show would start again.

The next day, once the show was over, Pop and his friends made their way to the Global Mall. From there they picked out the latest fashions, making sure that they lived up to Paul's new image.

Thanks to his career, Pop need never worry about being behind the times. In fact he was quite a fashion leader amongst his work colleagues. This was he knew that he would never fall out of favour with the company. After all, who would rather spend their money on food rather than the latest trends?

Mr Killer had been watching Pop with keen interest. His early beliefs in the boy appeared to have been well-founded. He was proving to be a true leader of the pure GlobalSoft model. He worked hard and he always fitted in with the crowd.

His reputation for good advice preceded him and he had save the company much expensive brain-washing. Why waste time and energy on a whimpering shell of a man when a few orders from a trusted fellow would be just as well?

If things continued in this form then Pop could well make a mark in the world. Plans were being laid for his future, a future where he would help to unite the world in one supreme enterprise. It was only time before he would rise up and reach out to all humanity.

Pop was terrified. Whatever could he have done to have been called to see the supreme father? It was rumoured that whoever went into his office was never seen of again. Some said that he kept people as trophies of his power, others 'knew' that he had ways of making people simply not exist.

But Pop was sure that none of these whispers were true. He vaguely remembered the great leader when he was simply the head of a school, a school which the young boy had been lucky enough to attend. He thought that the man had been tough but fair, moulding the perfect human using the few resources at his disposal. Surely the man would be favourable to those who had known him back in those days?

Pop left the meeting, still unable to believe his luck. For all his hard work, Mr Killer had promoted him to resources manager. He would no longer be on the standard company connections; he would have complete access to the whole network. He would be able to interface with every home connection; sourcing out the perfect employees who would have the privilege of joining the best employer there had ever been.

Pop was surprised by some of the rumours floating around the cyber network. There were rumours of friends who had disappeared, bribing of politicians, those who had survived in the outside world. He had never imagined there could be such stupid people. One blog even claimed that the Killer's of old had been responsible for the death of a whole alternative form of music known as Rock.

Pop almost felt sorry for them when he considered that these people resorted to such imaginative things to fill their time. There were much better things to do than contemplate! They could be playing virtual reality, crawling the blogs of GlobalSoft for the latest trends, or watching 1,000 Best One Minute Movies for The Corridor Market'. These were defiantly not the employees he was searching for.

Pop almost wished he hadn't mentioned it. What he believed to be a casual reference to some wacky idea appeared to be something much more serious for Mr Killer. The head of GlobalSoft seemed to see such rumours as a personal insult to his integrity and a blackening of his family name.

His face turned stern and sombre, as he thought hard about what his official stance should be. He paced the floor, seemingly totally oblivious to Pop's presence.

As he returned for another pass, he appeared to remember his employee. He stopped playing with his hands and stood stock still. Turning to Pop, he announced that the problem would soon be sorted.

He wasn't sure how Mr Killer had done it, but the problem had certainly been sorted. During his most recent trails of the net, no such rumours had surfaced. Pop was glad that GlobalSoft's reputation would remain intact.

What's more, Pop's accidental discovery seemed to have endeared him even more to his boss. He had increased his security privileges and had made him official PR man. Pop wasn't sure why such an upstanding bloke would need a PR man, but he was happy to serve in whatever way he could.

During his travels Pop saw the most wonderful and curious things. He saw centres where they shared responsibility, homes which seemed unaware of the healthy daily schedule. He even once caught a glimpse of a family struggling to survive outside the dome.

Pop reported all that he viewed to Mr Killer, who listened intently to his wonderful descriptions. And with every tale Mr Killer became more excited. Their relationship grew until one day boss became friend and on first name terms.

Pete was pleased with his latest protégé. Thanks to him the rebels were being hunted into extinction. His mole unsuspectingly found and reported each individual, those who refused to follow the system. Pop also made a good confident. With every day he could trust him more and more- some day he might even tell him the secret of GlobalSoft's success.

Now, that was an idea. Much as he didn't want to admit it, GlobalSoft would need a successor some day. Why not mould this youth into the perfect leader, a man who could take on the business in its founder's image. After all, couldn't the perfect employee become the perfect boss?!

Many years passed, during which Pop's influence grew. He almost forgot his humble beginnings back in the days of Virtual High.

Then, one day, the almost unimaginable happened. Pop was in his weekly briefing as usual when Pete put down his papers and looked him straight in the eye.

"Let me speak frankly" Pete said, "you have been the best employee that I could ever have asked for. Over the last thirty-two years you have done everything GlobalSoft has asked of you, and more. Your loyalty has not gone unnoticed. One day this will all be yours, Assistant-Manager"

Pop could not believe his ears. Had he heard right? There had never been an Assistant-Manager of GlobalSoft before! Why would one be needed?! Everyone knew that Pete would live forever!

Then again, that didn't sound quite right somehow. Pete might be marvellous and a masterful leader, but he was a human of sorts. His legacy would always live on, but would the man?!

The promotion was never officially announced, but Pop was certain that it was true now. As far as he could see he had the same powers as Pete now, he could practically do whatever he wanted now! So he did!

Pop began by going to those corners of the centre where he had never gone before. He sought to find out what made some of the locals he saw there behave so strangely. And, because he was in charge now, he felt no need to report back to Pete.

He discovered that not everyone thought the way they should. They had strange ideas and ideals. Some even thought themselves better than the company.

He began to spend more time with these people, trying to make them realise the true path. He found, to his surprise, that they weren't too dissimilar from him and that some of their arguments even made a strange sort of sense. Unconsciously he began to develop a strange respect for them.

Max was 17 and he had never been to the centre- until today. Today he was going to the cinema. His new best friend, Pop, was taking him.

Pop had come into his life 6 months ago. He had a strange accent and wore strange clothes, but that didn't matter to Max. He was friendly and treated him with respect, unlike the kids at school. What's more, Max's parents trusted the guys and so Max would as well. Not that he ever thought in the same way as them of course.

The centre was large and sparkling. The white walls towered above the lanky boy, as Max gazed in wonder. Pop smiled, it was good to know that Max would love the place as much as he did/ He couldn't wait to see the boy's reaction when he saw the cinema's 3D holograms for the first time.

Pop was still reeling from the boy's excitement when he paid a visit to Pete's office three days later. To his surprise he saw Max's parents standing there, flanked by two guards.

"Ah, Mr Earthlink" Pete announced (he always resorted to formalities when non-employees were present), "I'd like to meet our latest miscreants"

Pop didn't know whatever he meant. Sure the family were unusual, but he couldn't believe they'd ever so anything illegal.

"These people" (he spit the word, as if he could hardly say it) "were caught flaunting the company rules. I thought it was about time you saw how we deal with such actions"

Before Pop could ask what they had done, Pete pressed a button under the desk and the wall slid back. Behind it were several chairs, what looked like hair styling machine hanging above them.

The family were escorted to the aforementioned chairs, where they were strapped in securely. Pop was puzzled, how would re-doing their hair-styles help the situation. It was too late by the time he realised the machines' true purpose.

Mr Killer had been surprised by his protégé's reaction. He had thought that a man so dedicated to the company would have understood his motives. It had been a shame to lose such a useful employee.

Still, he couldn't have had him hanging around with his rebel sympathies. And after he had been through the machine he hadn't been much use as a manager anymore.

It had been a good idea of his to turn the settings down a bit though. A man like Pop could still be useful with a bit of memory. With his memories of Globalsoft's security measures gone, and that of the rebel presence, he could take up a more menial job that no-one else wanted.

Mr Killer briefed the reformed Pop on his new job

"Globalsoft needs you" he said "without you the education of some of the greatest minds would grind to a halt. Serve Globalsoft well, Caretaker Pop"


	5. Chapter 4

God Save the Queen

Chapter 4: Watching the Show

Pop wished he could remember more of his life. He'd spent his youth at Virtual High, training to be a Globalsoft worker. Next thing he knew Mr Killer had been escorting him back to the school for his new job. Still, he supposed that was what happened when you misspent your tweenage years.

It was all his fault of course. He must have had a relapse into the wayward days of his early teens. He must have partied too much and fallen foul to the rhapsody. Well, he wouldn't let the youth of today make the same mistake as him. After all, Mr Killer had been kind enough to give him a second chance, not everyone would be as lucky.

Sophie liked the new caretaker. He listened to her problems and then told her what to do matter-of-factly. He never revealed her secrets to a teacher and his advice was pretty good.

Thanks to him she had rise in the GlobalSoft ranks, making it to KillerQueen's side much faster than she would otherwise. Pop had a knack of noticing everything that was going on and it was this that allowed her to appease the right people at the right time., She was certain she would never forget him.

Pearce was sure that he would ace the test this time. Pop had been good enough to tell him the tricks of the trade. Despite technological advances it seemed that little had really changed since the caretaker's youth. If Pearce aced the exam then he would never forget his secret tutor.

Heather knew the others wouldn't understand, but for some reason she felt that she could trust Pop. He certainly had a good reputation. Mind you, so did KillerQueen.

OK, she would go to him, but she wouldn't reveal the full truth. She would let him know just the snippets of her life that he needed to know to help her. Just those little things which didn't really matter to the others.

Pop was fed up of giving others advice. Sure he liked helping them, but what about his needs? All he ever heard were questions and requests for help. Wouldn't someone listen to his problems for once?

It seemed not, but he couldn't carry on giving advice like this. Maybe he could distract himself by researching some background information on his protégés. He was sure he still had his old access code somewhere.

No-one bothered Pop as he trawled through the net. It was well known that caretakers were harmless, they were too tick to cause any damage.

First he researched Heather. She had seemed strange when he had first met her, but bow she appeared even stranger. She turned up for all her lessons, yet she kept failing tests. She was marked as intelligent and yet she achieved the bare minimum. She was described as a loner and scruffy, yet she had never complained to him of a lack of friends.

Then there was KillerQueen. Mentioned by every visitor, she appeared to rule the roost. No longer were there a series of warring gangs; there was simply her lot and everyone else. If you weren't in her gang you were a nobody. No hidden skeletons in this closet, she was as magnificent on paper as in real life.

Heather's latest problem was a boy. She thought he was brilliant, but everyone said he wasn't her type. Secretly Pop wondered who 'everybody' was, but he kept that to himself.

'Everyone' thought that this boy couldn't be trusted. 'Everyone' knew he wasn't interested anyway. 'Everyone' thought he was strange. Who was this boy anyway?

His reputation was obviously growing. Robbie the good-looking , if a bit strange, guy was approaching. He seemed to be having problems with love as well.

His girl had fallen in love with someone else. He had tried to tell her that he was a waste of time, but she just wasn't listening. Pop's advice? Distance himself from the lad and if she truly loved Robbie then she would come back soon enough.

Pop wasn't stupid. He knew there was some sort of love triangle forming between Heather, Robbie and some other guy. All he needed to do now was find out who that guy was. He told himself that this would allow him to give much better advice.

It had been over a month now since Pop had seen either Heather or Robbie. What was even more strange was that they no longer seemed to exist at all online.

It was as if they had never been at the school. What's more, several other pupils appeared to have disappeared at the same time. There must be some sort of connection.

Pop had a new visitor. He was so low in the food-chain that he had never even been mentioned before. Yet Craig told him that he was a friend of Killer Queen, the most well-known Spice Girl of them all.

At first Pop didn't want to get involved, something was defiantly up here. However, as Craig told his story he couldn't help but be intrigued by the details that the lad did not reveal.

Some of his friends had abandoned him, leaving him to the mercies of Killer Queen. He had been entinced by her confidence, until he had been unable to remove himself from the trap. Fleeing from the arms of one girl, he had found himself in the arms of another. And now Craig had become a leader by default.

To Pop's surprise, his guesses at GlobalSoft's passwords had worked. He surfed the net, breaking down the barriers that lay before him. Slowly a whole new world was revealed.

His mind raced, would he be discovered. What would GlobalSoft do if they knew what he had found? A whole new gang had disappeared, a gang that had been stretching the boundaries of convention.

But then he knew they wouldn't find out. Despite KillerQueen's new leadership, the passwords he had showed him the truth. GlobalSoft was fighting amongst itself to accept that it could ever have a leader other than Mr Killer- it was far too busy to bother with a humble caretaker.

Craig returned to talk with Pop many times. Pop watched as he gained power, became KillerQueen's right-hand man. The caretaker's passwords had long since been reset, but that didn't matter- he had a new source of information.

Craig clearly underestimated him. He revealed far too much than he should have. Slowly Pop began to build up a picture of the truth behind GlobalSoft. And as he did so, his memory began to return.

Someone had removed his childhood and his tweenage years from him. There were still many gaps, but of that fact he was sure. And he was also sure that he would not let it happen again.

Pop began to formulate a plan. If he was caught he would hold a key fact in his mind as he was processed. And that fact would give him access to the most important memories. Maybe he would get lucky just one last time.

Craig knew that he had said too much this time, but it was easy to let little things slip when you were confiding in someone. Now his loose tongue would result in dire consequences.

Luckily for him KQ had found the spy, but not the informant. If she found that latter it was bound to be curtains for him.

Yet Craig felt sorry for Pop, it was jot his fault that he had overheard things he shouldn't have. As the helmet was lowered, Craig swallowed deeply and took a risk.

"I have an idea" he volunteered

"What?!" spat KQ

Craig stepped back, "After the processing why not make use of the man"

"What do you mean?" asked KQ, curious of her play-thing's audacity.

"Well, we need a new librarian" (it was true, the last one had 'disappeared' the day before) "so why not leave just enough of this body to shelve the books around. Send him to the place where no mortal goes, where no-one will ever hear him"

KQ laughed, "Just what I was thinking myself. Guards! Carry out my master plan. Pop shall be banished to the Forgotten Library!"


	6. Chapter 5

God Save the Queen

Chapter 5: We Had A Really Good Trip

Pop had seemed quite a decent chap when Craig had first met him. He had listened to his problems and it had brought him nothing but processing. Craig couldn't help but feel responsible somehow.

Still, at least Pop had still retained some of his mind. Craig was sure that he would be happy enough sitting with the books in his own little world. After all, the man was getting on a bit. This way he would live out a long life, he would have been disposed of soon anyway.

The important thing now was to make sure that KQ never found out how Pop had got his information. Despite her feelings, she would never let an informant remain intact.

Killer Queen rose from her bed and clicked her fingers. Slave number 1 approached and draped a silken dressing gown over the great leader's shoulders. The latter barely acknowledged the action, it was simply a part of her daily routine.

As she clicked again the giant video screen behind her flickered into life. Craig appeared in the screen.

"Have the revels been quashed yet?" she screamed

"Ummm, not quite yet" Craig stammered

"And why not?"

"I need time!"

"I've given you plenty of time! It's the waste of time which let them grow in the first place! Sometimes I think you're a waste of time!"

Craig protested, remaining as courteous as he could

"Prove it then!" shouted Killer Queen, her tone changing almost imperceptivity, "come here and make better use of it!"

Slowly, the rebels were finally being driven into extinction. All that remained now were a small group, worthless in the grand scheme of things. With the power of GlobalSoft against them, little harm could be done.

Still, it did no harm to be certain. There were rumours growing of a rebellion, an uprising caused by the power of a rock. Words had been twisted; a pleasure of mindlessness once merely frowned upon had become a proscribed state of mind under rebel hands. Even Craig was reluctant to mention the name- the name of the Rhapsody.

The great master watched as her world ran with ultimate precision. All she had to do was tighten up the screws now and again, like oiling a well-run machine.

Her father had made the mistake of sharing his power; Killer Queen would never make that mistake! This was a one woman show! There was no-one to betray her, no child who could seize the top spot.

She had never regretted her actions. Her father had been weak and old, his methods outdated and crude. The only good thing about the man had been his machines and the brief moment during which he had brought a new killer into the world.

Craig searched out the rebels, as per Killer Queen's instructions. Yet, despite his persistence, she was becoming more and more restless. It was as if, however quickly he worked, he would never please her.

Killer Queen didn't seem to care about him in 'that way' any more. In fact she was quite cold towards him nowadays. Craig feared she had got bored of his attentions.

There was little time to spare now. Killer Queen cleared her system of slackers, replacing them with young and efficient GaGa Kids. Finally she was getting rid of the vestiges of the past.

The system was complete! Through GlobalSoft's music she could control every kid on Planet Mall! No-one would escape her power! Non-one was beyond her control!

Craig was beginning to doubt the 'truth' of GlobalSoft. Despite his best intentions he was finding out much from the rebels that he tracked. Some of it almost made sense as he began to see a new side to his old flame.

Despite KQ's best attempts, the rebels continued to flourish. There must have been something that was drawing them together, empowering them to continue their activities.

Something was wrong with Craig, or so her employees informed her. To be honest, Killer Queen hadn't really noticed- he had lost her interest long ago.

But as he appeared on the screen that night- she had to agree. There was something different about the man! His smile seemed more false, his skin less shaved and his eyes dimmer. Not that she ever looked at him that closely of course!

She decided to question him! Maybe she could find out what his problem was!

Craig had a problem! He had found a rebel earlier that day, but something had made him unwilling to bring them in! Something didn't seem right! In fact he was certain that something was wrong!

He was no longer himself! He could feel the whimpering teenager reappearing! It asserted itself as if it had simply been hiding in the cyber wardrobe, ready to come out when he least wished.

To make things worse, KQ had called for him. He was sure she knew- he could hide little from her gaze!

As the electro-cap fell upon the head of Craig, Killer Queen decided that he had not infact finished serving his purpose. She didn't need to answer to anyone when she signalled for the process to be halted!

No-one would dare question her motives for returning a half-processed man to the company's employment! No-one would dare to consider that emotion could play even a tiny roll in her actions! No, she could do whatever she wanted- the world was hers!

And she wanted a new man by her side! A man with a great similarity to her first lover, but a different man none the less! This man would be loyal to the company! This man would have forgotten any rebel sympathies! This man would obey her every wish! This man was Khassoghi!

THE END

The story continues in 'WWRY: The Novel"


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